All of us know that nothing comes free in this world and what we think we do get free has other hidden costs. WhatsApp and Facebook have access to our innermost desires and they liberally share with advertisers to finance what they offer us for free. Corporates in turn use that information to target their advertising accurately and here is a story to illustrate this.
The following is a real exchange yesterday between a dear friend and me in WhatsApp.
Friend: On my Facebook feed, I get ads for men over 50 – all the ads either show old men playing with grandchildren, or pills for erectile dysfunction or how I need to beware of incurable old age diseases. Depressing stuff. Ageism is alive and well in the targeted advertising world!
Me: Is this a forward or a personal rant?
Friend: Personal rant
Me: 😔😔😔
This thread continued with a different tack with me having my share of fun
Friend: How are you keeping?
You look very good after beard trim and haircut.
Me: You have learnt to ask “keeping” instead of “doing”!😃
Friend: Lol.
Me: Thank you. All of us here are flourishing.
Friend: Great.
A little background the fun exchange. He used to ask me “How are you doing?” and I would respond with “I stopped doing a long time ago.”
The beard trim and hair cut is referring to my blog post.
“I stopped doing a long time ago.” LOL. have always liked that!
I’m not a fan of facebook. I didn’t even know about the advertising part of it! I have ad blocker on my computer. and it works fairly well.
I had to buy a new battery for my car last month. now I’m suddenly getting robo calls for car maintenance on my cell phone. (and not even from the battery place! they must have sold my number? or it was stolen? because I didn’t get them before the battery) very irritating.
I guess it’s just the times we live in. apparently no way to escape the marketplace!
AND … I also still love your beard and haircut! 🙂 xo
I am getting spam messages on my phone by the dozens and despite my reporting them, they do not cease. There appears to be many bots operating in many places hoping that something will click and give a window to cheat someone.
wow. I just read your link written by Poorvi Bose on the big techs infiltration into our personal lives by the web. fascinating and somewhat frightening stuff. all for the power and glory of MONEY.
makes a minimalist shudder! thanks for including it here Rummy.
Yes Tammy, now we understand that there is nothing called free lunch. Google, whatsapp, facebook etc are all engines that support advertising effort.
The trick, I think, if one is going to have email or Facebook or any social media, is to make oneself immune to advertising. It’s a matter of thinking we’re all right the way we are, isn’t it. Don’t let that creep in!
I have made myself immune but, the problem is very real and can be very annoying as my friend says in his message to me.